Cable floor structure



March 28, 1967 o. c. ECKEL 3,311,365

CABLE FLOOR S TRUGTURE Filed March 1, 1965 2 SheetsSheet 1 United States Patent O 3,311,365 CABLE FLOOR STRUCTURE Oliver C. Eckel, R0. Box 226, ilarlisle, Mass. 01741 Filed Mar. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 435,937 3 Claims. (Cl. 26789) This invention relates to a cable floor structure.

Reference is made to my U.S. Patent No. 3,077,149. dated Feb. 12, 1963.

One object of my invention is to provide cable connectors that have two rods, one 'of which extends through an upper half portion of an I-beam and the other rod extends through the lower half portion thereof, which rods meet and merge prior to making connection with floor cables thus eliminating the need for aligning bars.

Another object is to provide said connector rods that have diagonally extending portions from which portions extend angularly that are parallel to each other and that meet at a median point between the two rods where they are united together as by welding.

A further object is to provide such connectors that are simple to construct and install in I-beams, the latter having holes in vertical alignment to receive said rods.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction, combination and arrangement such as is disclosed by the drawing. The nature of the invention is such as to render it susceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I am not to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawing, nor to the particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled to all such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a connector for my cable floor structure shown connected to an I-beam.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof, the I-beam being omitted.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of my cable floor structure on a reduced scale.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view showing a plurality of connectors connected to an I-beam.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view on a reduced scale showing a complete floor structure.

As illustrated, my floor structure has a main supporting means or frame 8 that includes I-beams 10 having a front flange 12, a web 14 extending therefrom and a rear flange 16. Said front flange 12 has holes 18 through the lower half thereof that are in horizontal alignment. It also has holes 20 through the upper half that are in horizontal alignment and are in vertical alignment with said lower holes 18. Said I-beams are at opposite sides of a structure and may be at four sides thereof.

A connector 22 has an upper offset rod having a horizontal portion 24, extending through said flange 12, and an angular portion 25 extending diagonally downward therefrom. Extending angularly from said portion 25 is an extension portion 25a extending parallel with said portion 24. Said connector 22 has a lower oflfset rod having a horizontal portion 26, extending through said flange 12, and an angular portion 27 extending diagonally upward therefrom. Extending angularly from said portion 27 is an extension portion 27a which extends parallel with and meets said extension portion 25a to which it is welded or otherwise integrally united as at 28. A hook portion 30 extends from said extension portion 25a.

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Coil springs 32 are mounted on said rod horizontal portions 24 and 26 at the rear of said I-beam front flange 12. Bearing means such as retaining collars 34 are slidably mounted on said rod portions 24 and 26 and bear against said front flange 12 and the front ends of said coil springs 32. Other retaining collars 36 or similar bearing means are slidably mounted on said rods 24 and 26 and bear against the rear ends of said coil springs 32.

Rearwardly of and against said collars 36 are washers 38 held on said rods 24 and 26 by nuts 40 that are retained from loosening by lock nuts 42. Said rods 24 and 26 have screw threaded portions 44 to receive said nuts 40 and 42.

The main area of my floor structure is formed of Wire cables 46 the ends of each having connecting means shown as thimble members 48 having loops 50 into which said hook portions 30 enter. Thus said cables 46 are maintained horizontally even to provide a level floor.

Said cables 46 may extend from four sides of a room, as shown in said FIG. 3, and in any event they extend from two opposite sides of the room.

The completed floor structure is used for persons to Walk upon, being especially adapted for use in chambers where there should be absence of echo. Such chambers are used, for instance, in the calibration of microphones, loud speakers and other apparatus.

What I claim is:

1. Floor structure comprising main supporting means embodying I-beams at opposite sides of said structure, each having a front flange, a rear flange and a web between said flanges, said front flange having upper holes and lower holes above and below said web respectively in vertical alignment, said lower holes and said upper holes being respectively in horizontal alignment, connectors at opposite sides of said structure each embodying two offset rods extending respectively through said upper and lower flange holes and meeting at one point forwardly of said flange and being integrally joined, said connectors each having a hook portion extending beyond said integral jointure, floor cables extending laterally of said structure and connected to said hook portions, bearing means on said offset rods rearwardly of said front flange, and coil springs around said rods and between said front flanges and said bearing means.

2. Floor structure as set forth in claim 1, one only of said rods having a hook portion, an end of one said rod being united with an intermediate portion of said rod having a hook portion.

3. Floor structure as set forth in claim 1, each said rod having a horizontal portion, a portion extending diagonally from the latter, and a portion extending horizontally from said diagonal portion, said horizontal and diagonal portions meeting and uniting integrally, said hook portion of one of said rods extending outwardly beyond said point of meeting.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 373,770 11/1887 Duncan 248-303 1,423,665 7/1922 IZen 5132 2,077,547 4/1937 Busse 248-54 X 2,298,929 10/ 1942 Dailey 24854 X 3,077,149 2/1963 Eckel 26789 JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner. 

1. FLOOR STRUCTURE COMPRISING MAIN SUPPORTING MEANS EMBODYING I-BEAMS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID STRUCTURE, EACH HAVING A FRONT FLANGE, A REAR FLANGE AND A WEB BETWEEN SAID FLANGES, SAID FRONT FLANGE HAVING UPPER HOLES AND LOWER HOLES ABOVE AND BELOW SAID WEB RESPECTIVELY IN VERTICAL ALIGNMENT, SAID LOWER HOLES AND SAID UPPER HOLES BEING RESPECTIVELY IN HORIZONTAL ALIGNMENT, CONNECTORS AT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID STRUCTURE EACH EMBODYING TWO OFFSET RODS EXTENDING RESPECTIVELY THROUGH SAID UPPER AND LOWER FLANGE HOLES AND MEETING AT ONE POINT FORWARDLY OF SAID FLANGE AND BEING INTEGRALLY JOINED, SAID CONNECTORS EACH HAVING A HOOK PORTION EXTENDING BEYOND SAID INTEGRAL JOINTURE, FLOOR CABLES EXTENDING LATERALLY OF SAID STRUCTURE 